Richard Gere has never been particularly drawn to the glamorous side of Hollywood fame. Reflecting on his rise to superstardom, he described his reaction as akin to that of “a wild animal,” during a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast.
Following the remarkable success of Internal Affairs in 1990 alongside Andy García and the blockbuster Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts, Gere, now 75, made a conscious decision to step back from the limelight and focus on less mainstream projects, he explained to host Scott Feinberg.
“I said, ‘Enough. I don’t really like all this attention. … I don’t wanna be looked at,’” he stated, highlighting his discomfort with the fame that accompanied his achievements.
Launching his career with prominent roles in American Gigolo (1980) and An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Gere began in regional theater and on Broadway before making his film debut in 1977’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
Despite his complicated relationship with fame, the Philadelphia-born actor recalled the exhilarating moment he realized he wanted to pursue acting as a career. “I remember getting that rush of energy, of, ‘This is what I’m going to be doing in my life,’” he said, reminiscing about securing a summer theater position at the Eugene O’Neill Provincetown Playhouse in Boston, which felt like “a rocket taking off.”
Gere reflected on his choices in both blockbuster films and smaller independent projects, stating, “I made some choices — not that I’m ashamed of it — but there were choices not to be in the big game. They were to be in a smaller game.”
He emphasized that he has never approached a project simply for financial gain, saying, “I’ve never done anything, like ‘Nah, f— it. I’ll just take the money and walk through this.’ Even things that I don’t think are very good films, the motivation to do them and the work ethic was the same.”
Recently, Gere announced his move to Spain with his wife, Alejandra Silva, and their two sons, Alexander and James. The actor has had a busy 2024, appearing in the film Longing alongside Diane Kruger and starring in the Showtime drama The Agency, which premiered its first episode on November 29. He also reunited with American Gigolo director Paul Schrader for Oh, Canada, currently in theaters, alongside Jacob Elordi.